Angelonia plant named ‘Lotrablu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Angelonia  plant named ‘Lotrablu’ characterized by its trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large purple violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Angelonia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LOTRABLU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia plant, botanically known as Angelonia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Lotrablu’.

The new Angelonia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new trailing and freely-flowering Angelonia plants with attractive flower coloration.

The new Angelonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the summer of 2008 in Dresden, Germany of two unnamed proprietary selections of Angelonia hybrida, not patented. The new Angelonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany during the summer of 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Angelonia plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany since August, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Angelonia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Angelonia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Lotrablu’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Lotrablu’ as a new and distinct Angelonia plant:

-   -   1. Trailing plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large purple violet-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Angelonia differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in plant and flowering habit as plants of the new Angelonia are more freely branching and freely flowering than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Angelonia can be compared to plants of Angelonia hybrid ‘Adeblu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,677. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of the new Angelonia and ‘Adeblu’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Angelonia had a trailing plant habit         whereas plants of ‘Adeblu’ had an upright plant habit.     -   2. Plants of the new Angelonia were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Adeblu’.     -   3. Plants of the new Angelonia had narrower leaves than plants         of ‘Adeblu’.     -   4. Plants of the new Angelonia flowered later than plants of         ‘Adeblu’.     -   5. Plants of the new Angelonia had smaller flowers than         ‘Adeblu’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Angelonia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Angelonia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Lotrablu’ grown in a ground bed.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Lotrablu’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following observations, measurements and values were grown during the summer and autumn in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Angelonia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures were about 20° C., night temperatures were about 16° C. and light levels ranged from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were pinched two times, two and six weeks after planting. Plants were five months old when the description was taken and six months old when the photographs were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Angelonia hybrida ‘Lotrablu’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Angelonia hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Angelonia hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at temperatures about             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; trailing             plant habit; very broad inverted triangle; freely branching             habit; when pinched, about ten to twelve lateral branches             develop per plant; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 20 to 25 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 40 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm to 30 cm. Diameter:             About 1 mm to 2 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm to 2 cm.             Strength: Fine to moderately strong. Texture: Slightly             pubescent. Color: Close to 144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 4 cm to 8 cm.         -   Width.—About 5 mm to 10 mm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate to oblong.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 137C. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 139C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single flowers arranged in             terminal racemes; flowers face mostly outwardly; freely             flowering habit; full dense inflorescences.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants             begin flowering about nine to ten weeks after planting; in             the garden, flowering is continuous from mid-May until frost             in Central Europe.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about 20 days on the             plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 6 cm to 7 cm.         -   Flower size.—About 3 cm by 2.5 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base into a tubular throat.             Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Roughly             spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire, undulate. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 82A;             color becoming closer to 82B with development. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 82A and 155D;             colors becoming closer to 82B and 155D with development.             Throat: Close to 155D and 82A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 137B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm to 2.5 cm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Angle: Outward to slightly upright, less than 90° from             vertical. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture:             Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 200D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             four. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to             155C. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Brown to grey. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering. Stigma             color: Close to 155D. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:             Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 165C.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:             Close to 177C.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per flower: About 30 to 50. Length: Less             than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: Light brown. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Angelonia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Angelonia     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Angelonia have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Angelonia plant named ‘Lotrablu’ as illustrated and described. 